The Asia Foundation

The Asia Foundation

The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. The Foundation supports programs in Asia that help improve governance, law, and civil society; women’s empowerment; economic reform and development; and international relations. Drawing on more than 50 years of experience in Asia, the Foundation collaborates with private and public partners to support leadership and institutional development, exchanges, and policy research.
<h2 id="w_womens-empowerment-program">Women’s Empowerment Program</h2>
The Women’s Empowerment Program develops women’s leadership, strengthens women’s organizations, increases women’s rights and ensures their personal security, and creates new political and economic opportunities for women across the Asia-Pacific region. The programs transfer tools, strategies, and lessons learned, foster synergies, and promote cooperation within and across borders. Mobilizing women has proved powerful in order to accelerate progress in each country, through facilitating networking, coordination, and collaboration among women and women’s groups. Programs involve women at all stages, thus ensuring that issues identified and strategies utilized are appropriate to each country or region’s socio-cultural-political context. Providing linkages with like-minded allies in government and civil society and with international networks and organizations creates greater support for their efforts so that reform is promoted from within and from without. Programs are broad-spectrum and flexible, empowering women themselves to challenge the multiple causes and consequences of their subordination and discrimination, and are customized and targeted to specific country contexts.
<h3 id="w_projects-include">Projects include</h3>
<ul>
<li>Health and Development Center for Afghan Women (HDCAW): Production of seven editions of an interactive comic magazine, Roshani, targeting young women, students, and teachers with information about market research, content and creative development. HDCAW engaged writers, designers, and artists; and received assistance from the Afghan Civil Society Forum, the Center for International Journalism, and the Independent Election Commission.</li>
<li>Nepal Red Cross Society: Training and orientation, and discussion of conflict transformation and human rights for
peace workers, youth clubs, women’s groups, and local leaders in Kaski District.</li>
<li>Sisters in Islam: Implementation of a legal aid clinic to advise women on their legal rights, particularly in relation to the application of Syariah and civil law on issues of marriage, custody and inheritance.</li>
<li>Guangdong Women’s Federation: Continued support of a legal aid and education project to benefit migrant women workers and women in need in Guangdong Province.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="w_sources">References</h2>
<ul>
<li>http://asiafoundation.org</li>
</ul>
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